Digital Commons Network^™

Conversations With Rick Veitch, Brannon Costello

LSU Faculty-Published Books

From his roots in underground comics to his high-profile runs on mainstream characters, Rick Veitch (b. 1951) has carved out a career unlike anyone else’s. Collecting thirteen interviews—including three published here for the first time—Conversations with Rick Veitch offers a wealth of insight not only into the development of Veitch’s graphic innovations and metaphysical explorations, but also into the upheavals and transformations of American comics from the 1970s to today. In acclaimed comics such as The Maximortal, Army@Love, and Can’t Get No, Veitch employs a style that synthesizes Jack Kirby at his most cosmic, the mind-bending graphic sensibility of European …

About The Authors, Sjsj

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Chemical Composition And Cardiorespiratory Health Effects Of Fine Particulate Matter (Pm2.5) From Ambient Sources And Gunshot Residue: Investigating The Role Of Rage-Driven Inflammation And Oxidative Stress, Samuel Cole Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Approximately 30 million people in the U.S. use firearms for recreation or occupation annually. The discharge of firearms releases a complex chemical mixture into the breathing zone of the individual. Historically the primary concern of this exposure was the inhalation of lead (Pb), however gunshot residue (GSR) is composed of inorganic and organic components that are understudied in regards to airborne concentrations and health relevance. In addition to chemical composition, GSR released into the air is composed of various size particles from unburnt propellent and projectile fractionation. A size fraction of major health concern is particulate matter less than 2.5 …

Leveraging The Zebrafish Model For The Study Of Human Health Impacts Of Particulate Matter Exposure: Exploring Biological Effects Of Fuel Source Emissions, Autism Spectrum Disorder-Like Behaviors, And Molecular-Level Reproductive Impacts, Shayla Victoria

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Particulate matter (PM) is the solid and liquid portion of air pollution that can be found at various size fractions, including PM2.5, which is 2.5 μm or smaller in aerodynamic diameter. PM is a complex mixture, containing a wide variety of chemical constituents, including inorganic compounds (heavy metals), organic compounds (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), and pesticides, that have been individually linked to human health impacts. These include cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, but due to its small size and chemical composition, PM has the ability enter into systemic circulation and cause dysregulation of other physiological processes, such as neurodevelopment and reproduction, which …

Human Papillomavirus Knowledge, Beliefs, And Behaviors Among Community College Students: Why Should It Matter?, Eric Pittman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States (U.S.). Approximately 42.5 million individuals in the U.S. are infected with disease-associated HPV, and 13 million new cases occur every year. It is estimated that 85% of sexually active adults will be infected with HPV at some point during their lifetime. Most individuals infected with HPV are asymptomatic and clear the virus without any complications. However, in some individuals, the virus persists. Prolonged HPV infection has been associated with six different types of cancer and genital warts. There are approximately 37,000 cases of HPV-associated cancers …

Comparative Analysis Of Out-Of-Pocket Expenditures On Authorized Generics And Independent Generics Among Medicare Beneficiaries, Arman Arabshomali

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Authorized generics (AGs) are essentially brand-name drugs without the brand name on their labeling. AGs are often marketed as cost-saving alternatives to brand-name drugs; however, their impact on patient out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditures compared to independent generics (IGs) remains understudied, especially within Medicare. This study investigates the OOP costs of AGs versus IGs among Medicare beneficiaries with Part D coverage.

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using the 5% national sample of Medicare Part D claims data from 2012 to 2020, linked with the FDA’s NDC Directory data to specify Authorized Generics, Independent Generics, and Brands. The study compared OOP …

Exploring Psychological Capital In Student Pharmacists: Insights, Outcomes, And Instructional Considerations, Joseph Aaron Dikun

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background/Objectives

The positive psychology movement served to create momentum to move from treating disease to exploring what makes life worth living, emphasizing the exploration of what contributes to human flourishing. One’s psychological capital has provided a practical framework for personal development that highlights the potential for individuals draw upon resources to thrive amidst challenges. As students face numerous stressors, including academic pressures, uncertainties, and personal struggles that threaten their well-being and performance, self-awareness and ability to utilize these intrinsic resources provide an actionable target for development. First, a measure of psychological capital was adapted and refined. Next, positive psychological capital …

The Profiled Feldman-Cousins Method For Confidence Interval Construction For The Nova 3-Flavor Oscillation Analysis, Andrew Joseph Dye

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The small interaction cross-section of neutrinos makes experimental neutrino physics particularly responsive to technological advancements. A significant development leveraged by the NOvA experiment is large-scale parallel processing, enabling novel computational approaches to longstanding experimental challenges. Central to managing the resulting high-throughput data is NOvA’s implementation of the Freight Train model, designed for efficient data production and handling.

This dissertation details the methodology and execution of the NOvA 2024 3-Flavor Oscillation Analysis, supported by a comprehensive dataset spanning ten years. It emphasizes frequentist results refined through the Feldman-Cousins (FC) technique, specifically addressing confidence interval corrections in parameter estimation. The computational intensity …

The Effects Of Validating And Invalidating Responses On Self-Reported Levels Of Anxiety, Leila Sachner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Given that validation and invalidation have been linked to internal factors contributing to anxiety disorders, it is important to further explore how validation and invalidation are associated with experiences of anxiety. The current study was designed to assess the association between validation/invalidation and anxiety among college students. Significant omnibus regression models emerged revealing that perceived invalidation accounted for 25.7% of the variance in self-reports of physiological anxiety symptoms and 27.6% of the variance in self-reports of generalized anxiety symptoms. A series of mixed-factorial ANOVAs revealed no main effect of experimental condition on emotional responses (anxiety, anger, arousal, valence), indicating that …

Data-Driven Modeling Of Levee Failure: A State-Of-The-Art Approach For Integrating Artificial Intelligence Techniques With Hydraulic Erosion And Geotechnical Characterization, Haitham O. Saleh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Flooding is one of the most destructive natural disasters in the United States, often resulting in catastrophic damage to communities and infrastructure. The primary flood-protection structures, earthen dams and levees, are critical for mitigating these impacts. In Mississippi alone, there are over 2,800 dams and 3,750 miles of levees along the Mississippi River and its tributaries. Of this, nearly 2,200 miles are along the mainstem Mississippi River, with the remaining levees situated along backwaters, tributaries, and floodways. Understanding the erosion behavior of these structures during overtopping events is essential for accurate failure prediction and risk assessment. This study focuses on …

Beliefs And Factors That Influence Female College Students’ Decision To Consume Weight Loss Products, Cynthia Ummay Siddiqua

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Rising societal pressures, body image concerns, and the increasing accessibility of commercial weight loss products (WLPs) have led to heightened use among young women, particularly college students. Female undergraduates are especially vulnerable due to social media influence, peer comparison, and transitioning lifestyles. Despite the popularity of WLPs, concerns persist regarding their safety, efficacy, and the psychosocial beliefs driving their use. This study seeks to understand the beliefs and factors influencing WLP consumption among female college students using Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) and the Health Belief Model (HBM).

Methods: A cross-sectional, exploratory survey was conducted among female undergraduate students aged …

Circadian Variation In Mgmt Promoter Methylation And Expression Predicts Sensitivity To Temozolomide In Glioblastoma, Maria F. Gonzalez-Aponte, Yitong Huang, William A. Leidig, Tatiana Simon, Omar H. Butt, Marc D. Ruben, Albert H. Kim, Joshua B. Rubin, Erik D. Herzog, Olivia J. Walch

Mathematics Sciences: Faculty Publications

Purpose Recent studies show that glioblastoma (GBM) is more sensitive to temozolomide (TMZ) in the morning. In cells, inhibiting O6-Methylguanine-DNA-Methyltransferase (MGMT) abolished time-dependent TMZ efficacy, suggesting that circadian regulation of this DNA repair enzyme underlies daily TMZ sensitivity. Here, we tested the hypotheses that MGMT promoter methylation and protein abundance vary with time-of-day in GBM, resulting in daily rhythms in TMZ efficacy.

Methods We assessed daily rhythms in MGMT promoter methylation in GBM in vitro and retrospectively analyzed MGMT methylation status in human GBM biopsies collected at different times of day. Next, we measured MGMT and BMAL1 protein …

Human Masters/Robot Servants: Highly Automated Vehicle Design, Intoxicated Drivers & Vicarious Liability, William H. Widen, Marilyn Wolf

Journal of Law and Mobility

A traditional engineering role is to design a safe product. Safety engineering is an exercise in harm avoidance ex ante. In contrast, liability attribution is an exercise to compensate for loss post hoc—traditionally viewed as a legal matter. We observe that, when a natural person incurs liability for a loss that exceeds insurance coverage, economic ruin can follow. Neither engineering nor law focus on the loss suffered by defendants considering law as a “safety risk.” The highly automated vehicle (HAV) design space, however, provides an opportunity to prevent this kind of economic harm from occurring ex ante just as attention …

Legislating For The Future, Jonathan S. Gould, Rory Van Loo

Faculty Articles

Public policy must address threats that will manifest in the future. Legislation enacted today affects the severity of tomorrow’s harms arising from biotechnology, climate change, and artificial intelligence. This Essay focuses on Congress’s capacity to confront future threats. It uses a detailed case study of financial crises to show the limits and possibilities of legislation to prevent future catastrophes. By paying insufficient attention to Congress, the existing literature does not recognize the full nature and extent of the institutional challenges in regulating systemic risk. Fully recognizing those challenges reveals important design insights for future-risk legislation. We first examine Congress as …

Setup And Design Of Growstem At Dsu Year One Summary Report, Richard I. Avery, Tom Halverson, Viki Johnson

Grant Reports

GROWSTEM is a DSU scholarship program funded by the National Science Foundations S-STEM program. The goal of the program is for participating scholars to build a sense of belonging through engagement. The program activities designed to accomplish this goal include faculty mentorship, a summer bridge program, study tables and an undergraduate research seminar.

The Prison Life-Course And Correctional Misconduct, Zachary Nathanial Buckner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to apply a developmental and life-course perspective to the understanding of correctional misconduct for those serving long-term sentences by conducting three separate analyses that examine the development of misconduct over time, and the influence of personal and prison characteristics on misconduct. Data were provided by the Department of Corrections in a Northwestern state in the United States and included all adults in custody who were currently incarcerated and had been incarcerated for a minimum of 15 years consecutively at the point of data collection in March 2023. The first analysis used group-based trajectory modeling …

Distress Tolerance And Links With 24-Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure, Colter K. Clayton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in the United States. Hypertension is a major modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular related morbidity and mortality. Psychosocial factors are associated with blood pressure control and preliminary evidence has linked greater distress tolerance to lower blood pressure. The present study examined associations between distress tolerance and key blood pressure markers (24-hour mean blood pressure, nocturnal dipping) among community-dwelling adults (N = 60) using the noninvasive gold standard of blood pressure measurement—ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Separate hierarchal linear regression analyses did not reveal any significant relationships between distress tolerance and 24-hour mean systolic, …

"To Live And Thrive In Massachusetts": Native American Perspectives On Wealth, J. Cedric Woods, Allison B. Taylor, Phillip Granberry

Institute for New England Native American Studies Publications

The racial wealth gap has gained significant attention recently, in both national and regional discussions, owing to the accumulating data that shine ever brighter light on the large disparities between White, Latino, and Black households. Native American families are almost always left out of these discussions, however, in part because the same type of comprehensive wealth data does not exist for them due to sample size limitations. This is why Boston Indicators commissioned the Institute for New England Native American Studies (INENAS) at UMass Boston to produce this unique report, released as part of our Racial Wealth Equity Resource Center …

Radiographic Assessment Following Maxillary Bone Augmentation Using Patient Specific Titanium Meshes Loaded With Bone Marrow Aspirate Mixed With Xenograft Versus Xenograft Mixed With Autografts Only: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Moataz Bahaa Dr., Ahmed Moustafa Abdelmaksoud Dr., Mohamed Mounir Dr., Yasmin Nassar Prof

Dentistry

Aim: The aim of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of three-dimensional bone augmentation in maxillary atrophied alveolar ridges by comparing the utilization of bone marrow aspirate concentrate along with a mix of autograft and xenograft versus autograft and xenograft alone. utilizing patient-specific titanium meshes. Subjects and methods: Ten patients experiencing severe vertical and horizontal deficiencies in the entire maxillary arch underwent guided bone regeneration. Utilizing specialized software, virtual bone augmentation were performed for the deficient ridge across the entire maxillary alveolus. This process involved generating virtually augmented models to guide the preoperative prebending of titanium meshes. In the …

Validation Of Salivary Proteomic Biomarkers For Early Detection Of Oral Cancer In The Egyptian Population, Dalia Ghalwash, Ahmed M. Ammar, Ayman El-Gawish

Dentistry

Purpose: The present study evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of important proteomic salivary biomarkers; IL-6, IL-8, and sCD44 in the early detection of oral cancer, and any poss associations with risk factors of oral cancer in an Egyptian population Methods: The present investigation was conducted on 100 individuals; 25 healthy controls, 25 patients having oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) with dysplasia; 25 patients having OPMDs without dysplasia, and 25 oral cancer patients. Demographic data modified gingival index, oral hygiene level, and salivary levels of the biomarkers were assessed. Results: Salivary levels of IL-6, IL-8, and sCD44 progressively increased with increased …

Synergistic Potential Of Ivermectin And Doxorubicin In Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: An In Vitro Investigation, Dalia Ghalwash, Shereen Nader, Rana Tantawy

Dentistry

Background Doxorubicin (DOX) is widely used in cancer therapy, but its role in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC)is limited by resistance and dose-related toxicities. Ivermectin (IVM), an antiparasitic agent with emerging anticancer properties, may enhance DOX efficacy. This study evaluated the effects of IVM alone and in combination with DOX on OSCC cell lines.

Methods In vitro assays, including MTT viability, apoptosis (Annexin V/PI), cell cycle analysis, RT-qPCR of apoptotic, proliferative, and inflammatory markers, and oxidative stress assays, were performed on HN9 and HEp-2 OSCC cell lines, with OEC as control.

Results IVM reduced cancer cell viability in a dose-dependent …

Spatiotemporal Economic Impact Analysis Of The Taal Volcano Eruption Using Electricity Consumption And Nighttime Light Data, Ma Flordeliza P. Del Castillo, Toshio Fujimi, Hirokazu Tatano

SOSE Affiliate: Manila Observatory

Analyzing the spatiotemporal dimension of the economic impacts of disasters is critical for providing timely and proportionate support. However, traditional economic impact measures often lack spatiotemporal details. Hence, we estimated the daily electricity consumption (EC) loss using high-frequency EC data and analyzed temporal dimensions of the immediate impacts of Taal Volcano’s eruption on January 12, 2020. Subsequently, we computed the nighttime light (NTL) change using high-resolution NTL data to analyze the spatial distribution of these impacts. The temporal analysis revealed two EC loss peaks. The first peak coincided with the power outage and decreased energy demand, followed by a brief …

"I’Ll Wait Zero Seconds": Faculty Perspectives On Serials Access, Sharing, And Immediacy, Rachel Elizabeth Scott, Anne Shelley, Chad E. Buckley, Cassie Thayer-Styes, Julie A. Murphy

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

This study explores how faculty across disciplines access and share scholarly serial content and what expectations they have for immediacy. The authors conducted twenty-five in-depth, semi-structured interviews with faculty of various ranks representing all Illinois State University (ISU) colleges. The findings, presented in the words of participants and triangulated with data from local sources, suggest that faculty use a variety of context-specific mechanisms to access and share serial literature. Participants discuss how they use library services such as databases, subscriptions, interlibrary loan, and document delivery, coupled with academic social networks, disciplinary repositories, author websites, and other publicly available sources to …

Heritability And Shared Environmental Effects Of Brain Diseases In 12,040 Extended Families, Janna I R Dijkstra, Marc Hulsman, Lisa Waterink, Henne Holstege, Charlotte E Teunissen, Wouter F L Christiaansen, Bryan A De Jong, Peter Kochunov, Brian Donohue, Marissa D Zwan, Anouk Den Braber, Lisa Vermunt, Sven J Van Der Lee

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Brain diseases have complex patterns of genetic and environmental risk factors, and better understanding of these risks is required for more effective prevention strategies. Participants of the Dutch Brain Research Registry provided detailed information on family structure and occurrence of brain diseases. A total of 12,040 participants (73% female, aged 64.9 ± 11 years) provided information on 101,379 family members (53% female, aged 62 ± 25 years). We estimated heritability (h2) of the nine most common brain diseases using polygenic modeling in SOLAR and assessed variations in h2 through bootstrapping; Alzheimer’s disease (AD) (h2 = …

A Study Of Human Services In The Town Of Natick, Caitlin E. Coyle, Mary Krebs, Morgan Clark, Matt Frye

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

The Town of Natick has committed to engaging the community to guide efforts to update and modernize municipal policies, procedures, and programs such that they appropriately reflect the needs and interests of the community.

Between 2021 and 2022, the Community Services Department underwent some organizational restructuring, which included staffing changes and the inclusion of Recreation & Parks and the Sassamon Trace Golf Course as divisions within the department, which already included the Council on Aging & Human Services, Veterans Services, and the Natick Community Organic Farm4. The Community Services Department is “charged with responding to the needs, interests and quality …

How Inclusive Are Degree Programs In Operations Research And Analytics In The U.S.?, Michael P. Johnson Jr., Tayo Fabusuyi, Elham Hesari, Salina Chu

Public Policy and Public Affairs Faculty Publication Series

Academic programs in colleges and universities in the United States have increasingly embraced principles of equity and inclusion to support student success and diversity within professions. Innovations in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in university programs require baseline data on students, faculty and administrators, curricula, and programmatic support. A review of data shows that underrepresented groups in the US workforce have limited visibility in operations research and analytics. A review of DEI-related research reveals some relevant insights including a gap in studies specific to operations research and analytics.

To provide evidence in support of DEI initiatives in OR/analytics, we describe …

Acute Strength Training, Not Menstrual Cycle Phase, Increases Lipid Oxidation Rates Following Exercise In Well-Trained, Eumenorrheic Females., Alyssa L. Parten, Abbie E. Smith-Ryan, Eric K. O'Neal, T Scott Lyons, Hunter S. Waldman

Kinesiology

Previous research supports the role of 17-β-estradiol (E₂) and progesterone (P₄) in altering lipid oxidation (LOx) rates during aerobic exercise, but it has yet to be determined if LOx is altered between menstrual cycle (MC) phases following strength training (STR). This study examined post-exercise LOx rates in eumenorrheic females, following a bout of STR during the early-follicular phase (EFP) and mid-luteal phase (MLP). Twenty-two (age: 25.1 ± 5.7, BMI: 24.5 ± 2.7) well-trained females completed a repetition maximum (RM) test for the back squat, bench press, and deadlift. Five sets of 3 repetitions at 80-85% 1RM …

Lost Things, Aloysius Devine

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Lost Things is a novella that explores sexuality, family, and mental illness. When Pearl drops out of college following a crisis in mental health, she returns to Sunnyside, Florida, where she does not belong. Pearl’s queerness and inability to meet her mother’s harsh expectations render her an outsider in her own home. However, Pearl finds solace and companionship in Saint Anthony, a goldfish her little sister won at the school fair. Pearl and Saint Anthony devolve into mutual obsession: Pearl, with the beached blue whale that washes up a mile from her home, and Saint Anthony with the ocean. Pearl’s …

Child Abuse In The Name Of Free Speech: Against Protecting Conversion Therapy As Free Speech, Siobhán Nolan

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Youth Voice: Civic Engagement, Rights, And The Wellbeing Of Children, Jonathan Todres, Folashade Epebinu, Chelsea Osei, Gabrielle Listana

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.